The 2018 Top Sales Articles & Posts

January

2018 Priority: Grow Revenue With Customer Success

It’s hard to ignore customer success. It seems that every software vendor you click on has a Customer Success page. Like most buzzwords, there is huge variability into what people say they do and what they are really doing. Many companies, for example, simply re-titled their Account Managers as ... by Fred Penteado

February

The Truth About Why Sales People Win and Lose Deals

If you are in sales or you know anyone in sales – the response to this simple question might be….well of course…..it’s because I am the best sales person. When they win they assume it’s because of their sales prowess or their solution’s superior functionality. When they lose, it’s all marketing’s fault, or they ... by Tiffani Bova

March

How to Take the Path of Least Resistance

After going through a difficult period in my personal life, my work habits had deteriorated pretty badly. I knew it was time to turn things around again, but darn, it was so freaking hard...For me, the biggest challenge of all was writing. My focus was fractured and my creativity constrained. Change required effort and sustained ... by Jill Konrath

April

Effective Sales Training: What Are the Foundational Elements?

Someone once told me that many companies maintain their equipment better than their people. If so, they get what they don’t maintain. This is especially true in sales. Across industries, turnover in sales averages about 25-30% annually. This means that, at many firms, the equivalent of the entire sales force ... by Frank V. Cespedes

May

Discovered - Data Reveals the Biggest Obstacle to Closing More Sales

Humans have been waiting for thousands of years to discover the secrets of life. Why are we here? Why do bad things happen? What happens after we die? Is Heaven real? What is God's plan for us?..While many experts have attempted to answer all of these questions, most of us lack proof. There's no ... by Dave Kurlan

June

B2B Buyers Don’t Hate Salespeople But They Aren’t Impressed Either

For 25 years, CSO Insights has been surveying and analyzing sales organizations to find out what works and what doesn’t. Over the last few years, we’ve noted a substantial decline in many key leading indicators for sales performance, including percentage of sales representatives who are making/exceeding their their quota. When ... by Seleste Lunsford

July

Your Digital Transformation

In an age where suppliers look pretty much the same in the eyes of the buyer, the biggest point of difference comes from the way we engage the customer. The biggest challenge today is being able to effectively execute at scale and stand out from the crowd as we meet buyer expectations... by Tony Hughes

August

Solving the Mystery of Successful Sales Enablement

There’s no question about it: Sales enablement is a difficult task that is compounded by an enormous amount of confusion. To clear the smoke and bring some much-needed clarity to this function, it’s important to take a look at what sales enablement actually is and how to tackle it for greater success within ... by Michelle Vazzana & Leff Bonney

September

Implementing Sales Technology Requires Sales Enablement and Sales Operations to Work Together

On Tuesday, Seleste Lunsford shared some of the findings on sales technology in our 2018 Sales Operations Optimization Study. One of her recommendations is to not underestimate the role of sales enablement when it comes to reinforcement and adoption of technology... by Tamara Schenk

October

Laying the Foundation for a Great 2019

As the end of the year is approaching, sales professionals in every industry are eager to lay a solid foundation for success in 2019. One of the most common business-related New Year’s resolutions among managers is this one: “I will hold more one-on-one coaching sessions with the members of ... by David Mattson

November

Is Technology Actually Helping or Hurting Your Sales Conversations?

Technology can be a double-edged sword for sales departments. The promise of greater efficiency and effectiveness is hard to resist, yet many technologies actually make things worse rather than better...We sat down with Marylou Tyler, author of the best-selling book, Predictable Prospecting, to talk about how to ... by George Brontén

December

Be a Customer Service Leader

I have seen pilots engage with passengers before, but Gerald Higginbotham takes it to a whole new level. I encountered Gerald as I was boarding a very early morning flight to Dallas. He was one of the pilots, and he was greeting every single person as they stepped onto the plane. It was more than a simple greeting, he was ... by Shep Hyken